End of Study and Earn Program Affects Practical Learning
The discontinuation of the “Study and Earn” program in community schools has created difficulties in running technical and skill-based education. Through this program, students had been receiving practice-oriented and hands-on learning, but its removal has now affected schools.
According to Principal Dhruvaraj Regmi of Yashodhara Secondary School at Tokshar, Bhojpur Municipality–12, teaching and learning have been directly affected after the program was stopped. In his view, the absence of the “Study and Earn” program has made it harder to manage the required materials for those subjects, to conduct fieldwork, and to provide students with practical exercises.
He stated that the “Study and Earn” program running in community schools had been very effective. Students were gaining practice-based knowledge and were also earning some income from the products they themselves produced. After the program was removed, he said that practical learning has become weaker, and that it is unfortunate to see such a useful program withdrawn.
According to him, the program has been closed from the fiscal year 2081/82. Under this program, which was being implemented through the Education Department, various schools had been involved in activities such as cultivating vegetables, fruits, paddy, and mushrooms, as well as other skill-based work. Some schools had leased land to run professional practice programs.
With the end of the program, schools that had been running vocational streams are now facing challenges in continuing practical teaching. The schools have pointed out the need for the state to introduce alternative programs.
